Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, Munich

Excellent sculptures (from the early Middle Ages to the 19th Century) meet old armor, tableware and furniture while ethnological and religious objects are displayed next to china from Nymphenburg. These well-organized exhibitions are housed in the marvelous fin-de-siècle building (1894-99) known as the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum. The pride of the museum, which boasts a collection of over 180,000 objects, is the exhibition of Christmas cribs which is the biggest collection of its kind in the country. There is a shop and a cafe on the premises as well. Call ahead or check the website to know more.